Joy Blog: My new antique cabinet

Okay so here it is...the new love of my life.My mother in-law (who has a beautiful collection of antique furniture) used to have this piece in her kitchen but with a recent kitchen reno she didn't have a space for it. So lucky for me, it became mine! It brings joy to my heart just walking past it. I love it's teal/turquoise colour. I love the antique feel and way the other wood colour is bleeding through. I love the scratches and chipping. I said to my daughter Ruby, "what do you think about mommies new cabinet? isn't it nice?" Ruby looked it over and remarked that yes it was nice but "its a bit dirty and scratched" with a sour look on her face. I launched into to telling her that this shabby chic or antique style is something that mommy thinks is really nice. She didn't buy it. If its not new and sparkly and made out of taffeta it's not nice in her eyes. Oh well! I simply love it and I had to share.

Another great thing is it's functional, so there's enough space to fit all of my pots and pans and cookware. It clears some clutter from our limited cabinet space in the kitchen.

Isn't she pretty!?!

New House: Project Fireplace

For those of you who don't know, we recently purchase a new home that i am absolutely thrilled about. Its a 4 level backsplit, so despite its small appearance in the photo there is more than enough room for all of us to grow. All 9 of us! 5 people, 4 pets to be exact.

The house is a cosmetic fixer upper. Structurally the house is sound but the 80's carpet, and melamine kitchen cabinets will slowly but surely have to go. One of the first projects I decided to tackle was the dated fireplace. I was so excited because I've been gathering ideas for fireplace decor long before I ever had one. I knew exactly what I wanted to do, no question about it...white! The bricks before were a dusty rose colour which i'm sure looked lovely with the matching dusty rose carpet we need to tackle soon. The insert was a dark brown and brass. Now I heard brass was coming back with a vengeance (house and home january edition) but the brass fireplace accents had to go as well.

If you are thinking about painting your bricks white too, let me give you a warning that I didn't really listen to. Bricks soak up paint like crazy, get yourself a gallon of good primer and be prepared that it may take a while. I'll be honest, I hated the priming and quit, handed over the job to my hubby. I added the much easier to apply coloured latex paint in a pearl finish. White down OC-131 by benjamin moore. I love this colour, I also have used it on my kitchen cabinets at our last place. Its just a touch warmer than the trim white. The fireplace insert we spray painted with a black paint typically used on bbq's so its good for high heat. And voila! I added a few off white ceramic pitchers from my collection and our "Family Rules" and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out! What do you think?

Risk Taking

I was born and raised in London, Ontario. Never left and wonder if I ever will. I live a safe little Londoner life, like many people I know. It's great in so many ways because my safe little life makes things alot easier. My parents are a few minutes away if I need a roll of toilet paper, all my family are close by actually. I can get around this London town with my eyes closed. My doctor is the same damn doctor I've had my whole life, he delivered me into this city actually. I went to storybook gardens every summer as a child and now that I am a mom I bring my kids there every summer too.

Me and the kids at storybook gardens a couple years ago

Yep, a typical londoner, living a very safe and predictable little life.

Putting together all the pieces of the puzzle, solving the problem, answering the question: "What is my purpose here?" I've realized that my barrier is not what should I do, but do i have the courage to actually do what my heart is telling me i should do? Am I able to take the risks necessary to live the life I'm meant to? I have friends that have left everything safe to start a new life in a new province, a new city, a new country and I admire them greatly. Their courage to take risks, and walk away from everything that feels safe and secure and experience something new. Taking big steps and moving forward, makes for big opportunities for awesome things to happen. Finding love, marriage, success, new friendships and opening up new parts of ones spirit. People that i know that I've had the strength to take those risks, have discovered things about themselves they NEVER would have discovered if they had stayed in their safe little hometowns. Now i wonder...what could I discover and uncover about myself if I only took some risks.

The word risk seems to have a slightly negative connotation to it — it implies danger or a possible loss. But what about the positive side of risk? Discovering a sense of self you never knew possible, getting that job you only dreamed of having, finding joy in undiscovered places. Taking risks can open doors and make BIG things happen. For all we have is this one little life, we should use it to the fullest. Conquer our greatest fears and live life as if it's our only one...because as far as I'm aware, it is.

Now I'm not saying that I'm ready to pick up my family and move to a villa in tuscany but what if I start with some smaller risks. What if just to start, I finally went the blonde I've always wanted to be, instead of chickening out and settling with a few subtle highlights? What if I painted that wooden cabinet a bold colour that makes my heart skip a beat instead of just the safe white that I am drawn to?

What if I finally opened that vintage/antique etsy store that I've always wanted to?

Have a risk taking sort of day!